Bleak House by Charles Dickens
Bleak House is a novel by Charles Dickens, first published in serial form between March 1852 and September 1853. It is a vivid portrayal of life in Victorian England, and follows the lives of a large cast of characters, all connected by their involvement in a long-running legal case known as Jarndyce and Jarndyce. The novel's main protagonist is Esther Summerson, an orphaned girl who is taken in by her guardian, John Jarndyce. Esther is soon caught up in the legal proceedings of Jarndyce and Jarndyce, a case that has been ongoing for decades and has bankrupted many of the parties involved. As the case drags on, Esther meets a variety of characters, including the kindly Mr. Woodcourt, the mysterious Lady Dedlock, and the villainous lawyer Mr. Tulkinghorn. The novel is a critique of the English legal system, and its themes include the effects of poverty, the power of the aristocracy, and the importance of justice. It is also a powerful exploration of the human condition, as Esther and the other characters struggle to make sense of their lives in a world of injustice and suffering.
By Charles Dickens · First published 1853 · Genre: Realistic Fiction, Social Criticism, Mystery · 60 chapters · 356,273 words
First lines
A Chancery judge once had the kindness to inform me, as one of a company of some hundred and fifty men and women not labouring under any suspicions of lunacy, that the Court of Chancery, though the shining subject of much popular prejudice (at which point I thought the judge's eye had a cast in my direction), was almost immaculate.
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Bleak House is listed on Textopian as a novel by Charles Dickens, dated 1853 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Charles Dickens
- Date: 1853 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Realistic Fiction, Social Criticism, Mystery, Romance
- Length: 356,273 words
- Structure: 68 chapters, 8,005 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Bleak House by Charles Dickens
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Genres
- Realistic Fiction — Bleak House is a realistic novel that follows the lives of several characters in Victorian England, exploring themes of justice, poverty, and morality.
- Social Criticism — The novel is a critique of the English legal system and its corruption, as well as a commentary on the social injustices of the time.
- Mystery — The novel follows the investigation of a mysterious inheritance, and the characters must unravel the mystery to discover the truth.
- Romance — The novel contains several romantic subplots, including the relationship between Esther Summerson and Allan Woodcourt.
Tags
Bildungsromans · Domestic fiction · Fiction · Guardian and ward · Illegitimate children · Inheritance and succession · Legal stories · London (England) · Novel · Young women · ada · bagnet
Contents
- Preface
- In Chancery
- In Fashion
- A Progress
- Telescopic Philanthropy
- A Morning Adventure
- Quite at Home
- The Ghost's Walk
- Covering a Multitude of Sins
- Signs and Tokens
- The Law-writer
- Our Dear Brother
- On the Watch
- Esther's Narrative
- Deportment
- Bell Yard
- Tom-all-alone's
- Esther's Narrative
- Lady Dedlock
- Moving On
- A New Lodger
- The Smallweed Family
- Mr. Bucket
- Esther's Narrative
- An Appeal Case
- Mrs. Snagsby Sees It All
- Sharpshooters
- More Old Soldiers Than One
- The Ironmaster
- The Young Man
- Esther's Narrative
- Nurse and Patient
- The Appointed Time
- Interlopers
- A Turn of the Screw
- Esther's Narrative
- Chesney Wold
- Jarndyce and Jarndyce
- A Struggle
- Attorney and Client
- National and Domestic
- In Mr. Tulkinghorn's Room
- In Mr. Tulkinghorn's Chambers
- Esther's Narrative
- The Letter and the Answer
- In Trust
- Stop Him!
- Jo's Will
- Closing In
- Dutiful Friendship
- Esther's Narrative
- Enlightened
- Obstinacy
- The Track
- Springing a Mine
- Flight
- Pursuit
- Esther's Narrative
- A Wintry Day and Night
- Esther's Narrative